How to Build a Lasting Relationship
by RebornEnvy
Summary: After being defeated by Rockman once again, Forte decides to take a different approach. With the help of a red book, Forte launches his new plan in action. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that this is a Oneshot.


Well, after reading a the fanfic "How to Find Love in Ten Easy Steps" written by Queenie Z that's two years old found in the Golden Sun section. it inspired me to write this fic. This will be in Forte's perspective, and pay attention to the next part.

I made Serenade a female for the purpose of the story. It shouldn't be too hard to imagine Serenade as a female, so please don't flame about this. Also, I'm sorry if I made any characters seem OOC, which I probably did. 

Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own, any of the characters in the following story. All characters belong to Capcom, and if they didn't, then Forte would be in Ryuusei no Rockman.

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I keep on climbing up the chasm as I hear the air beneath me seem to crackle. I look down again and see viruses chasing me from the Undernet.

Rockman… that will be the last time that he gets the best of me! I dig the nails of my left hand in to keep myself up and my right hand begins to glow. A large purple beam leaves my hand and annihilates the viruses.

I grit my teeth and keep on climbing. My hands finally feel the surface and I pull myself back up into the Net. A few navis look at me with a funny look on their face, but I just relax as I let my cape billow in the wind.

My wounds begin to slowly heal after leaving the Undernet as I try to think about the events that have caused me to be in this state. First, I fought Rockman again, and he managed to pull out another win just as I was about to finish him.

I wandered the net to get stronger, and that's when someone added even more insult to my injury. Serenade showed up and the ground collapsed around me after she attacked. That's right, I said she! 

I'm one of the few navis that actually knows her gender, but I'll explain that after I tell the rest of the story. Anyways, while I'm injured, she comes in and sends me to the Undernet. The only reason she hates me so much was because I called her flat chested when we first met.

I look in front of me to find a blue navi. I go up to that navi and wrap my arms around his neck. "I hate the color blue. Get out of my sight." The navi tries to breath and manages to log out as data flows through my gloved fingers. All the other navis log out as I walk around.

They probably recognized me by now and are warning the officials, but no matter who tries to stop me, they won't be a match for me. That is, unless HE shows up. Somehow he always manages to win even if the odds are stacked against him.

There has to be a way to wipe off that blue navi off the face of the Cyberworld. Maybe if I separated him from his operator… wait, didn't I already try that? I'll just have to get a huge cannon to play mind games with him and then finish him off with an unexpected attack.

Did I try that as well? This isn't working properly. There has to be some weakness of his that he won't be able to overcome no matter what. I try to think, but some voices are distracting me. I decide to shut up whoever's talking, but I hear something interesting.

"Did you hear? Some navi called Rockman managed to beat Lord S!" A green navi is talking to a Hellnavi for some reason that I can't understand. In fact, why do the two of them even know about Serenade? Gossip must spread fast, even in the Undernet.

"No way, are you kidding? From what I heard, Lord S just to let Rockman win after he got one shot in. Lord S was wiping the floor with that pipsqueak!" Interesting… so she managed to defeat Rockman? There has to be some secret that she knows, perhaps some kind of hidden weakness? "Lord S is the strongest navi around!"

Whatever it is, I have to find out what happened. I go up to the Hellnavi, and he looks at my direction and freezes. I note that his whole body is shaking. "Who did you say was the strongest?"

"It's you, Forte." I could barely hear his voice through all that nervous breathing. "I was just thinking about Lord S and Rockman. If you were there, I'm sure you would have easily defeated them both." 

"Did you say that Serenade managed to defeat Rockman?" The two navis gasp at hearing me say her name. Talking with them is almost disgusting. I guess I'll have to speak weakling to make them understand. "Did you say that _S_ managed to defeat Rockman?"

"From what I heard, S stopped the fight after Rockman got a hit in, but that was hours after the fight started." The two navis begin to slowly move back. Do they really think I can't tell? I consider deleting them, but they're more worthless than the ground I step on, so destroying them will prove nothing.

The normal navi speaks up while stuttering. "I heard that… S only shows up for… those who manage to gain his favor…" You see? That's exactly what I mean. Some people are just guessing at Serenade's gender.

"Who… do you… think… you're talking to?" I purposely pause to make myself sound more threatening and it has the desired effect. If those two were humans, then they'd probably have wet themselves by now. 

The two of them finally manage to log out and I leave the area. 

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**Undernet**

I pace around as I try to think of everything I know. The Undernet's a perfect place, since I won't run into Rockman or any of his friends. First off, I know that Serenade knows Rockman's weakness, or at least a method for defeating Rockman. What else did I know? Oh right, she hates me and won't tell me. As much as I hate to admit it, I can't beat it out of her.

The words of that normal navi find their way back to my mind and I realize what I had to do. I needed to gain Serenade's trust and favor and then she'll tell me what I want to know. After that, I'll rip the Ultimate Program out of Rockman's cold dying body and maybe I'll even defeat Serenade!

That's a perfect plan! Still it's not going to be easy to gain Serenade's trust after the first impression she has of me. I can't believe she's so mad just because of that little comment. I'm sure even she knows that it's true. That's probably why she calls herself a being that transcends gender.

If only I had something that could show me the way. My wandering eyes look around and I find myself staring at a white female navi. She has a nurse's hat, red visor, and blue hair. Somehow, she reminds of that pink navi that hangs around with Rockman, what was her name again… Ril, or Raul?

Anyways, white navi's carrying a red book with golden edges that have golden titles that are barely large enough to read from my distance: "How to Build a Lasting Relationship". Not exactly what I expected, but I suppose it could work.

I try my best to put on a non-threatening face and walk up to the navi. "Hello, miss." After hearing my voice, she lifts her eyes off the book and looks at me.

"Hello? I don't believe that we've met." Her voice reminds me of Rockman's pink friend, and that reminds me of Rockman. It's getting harder to not look threating.

"No, it's just that the book you have caught my attention."

"This one? A NetDealer was selling it, and I couldn't miss out on the bargain, so I asked my operator…" I didn't ask for her life story, so I decided to just cut to the chase.

"I was wondering if I could maybe… borrow it?" I mentally gag as I ask this. Why am I asking this in the first place? I could've just stolen it from her, in fact, why didn't I just do that?

"Why?" I can't believe I'm actually going along with this, but if Serenade finds out, that'll put me one step farther from Rockman's complete destruction.

"Umm… I'm having some love problems of my own… so…" I didn't seem to need to say anymore and the white navi's eyes light up with understanding.

"Really? So am I! That's why I got this in the first place. There's a blue navi with green eyes and black hair that I fell in love with in first sight. Say, you wouldn't happen to know him, would you? He seems to be pretty famous."

My eyes widen as the descriptions click in place. Surely she can't mean… "Umm, no, can't say I remember going by those descriptions."

"Well, I'm already done, so you can have it. I know what it feels to be love stricken." She hands me the red book and I run off. "Good luck with your love life."

"Thanks, I really appreciate this." I think too nice, but I have to practice for Serenade. 

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After managing to secure a safe location so no one would see me reading, I begin heading towards Secret Area as I flip to the first page.

_**How to Build a Lasting Relationship **__****_

_**Love can strike you anywhere at any time. It can be a complete stranger that you've talked to once on the…**_

I flip through the introduction until I find myself at the first chapter.

_**Chapter One **__****_

_**The first, most important thing to do before you attempt to start a relationship is to start things off on a clean slate by apologizing for any disagreements the two of you may have had in the past. It's very hard to have a lasting relationship with a person that holds a grudge against you.**_

Apologize!? What did I do wrong? Serenade was the one who attacked me. Maybe this whole plan isn't worth it. A picture of a dying Rockman begging at my feet for mercy finds its way to my head and my resolve immediately strengthens.

I just have to keep on thinking of the result. Come on, I can do this. I close the book and take a deep breath before walking forward. Something catches my foot and my face falls down and hits the ground. 

The dark aura protects me and I stand up again. I look on the ground to see a small bump on the ground, forming a hill. How dare this inanimate object mock me!? My hand begins to glow and I slam down my palm at the hill as pieces of earth, or whatever the cyberworld's made up of, flies in the air.

Everything clears for a moment, and my eyes widen. For some unexplainable miracle of science, the hill still stands, but everything around it is a crater. I prepare to attack again, but decide against it. 

"Once I finish my plan and take Rockman's ultimate program, you'll be the first one to get a taste of my power." 

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**Serenade's Palace**

"Halt, navi! To get to Lord S, you'll have to pass us first."

"Move out of the way or else I'll make sure the two of you stay deleted this time." Yamatoman and Darkman take a closer look at me and immediately recognize me before backing away. Idiots, I'd delete them again, but I have more important things to deal with.

I start walking forward and see a huge white palace. I really hate the color white as well. It's third on my lists of colors to get rid of after I take Rockman's program right next to pink and blue. White reminds me of Slur, who managed to beat me ONCE before I got my revenge. Well, since I defeated her, I guess I don't mind white that much, but my favorite color is black.

I cover my eyes at the bright light reflecting against the palace walls and knock on the gate, but no one enters. That's it! I'll just break down this place like I always do! I prepare my Earthbreaker, but realize that it'll just be something to add to my list of apologies.

Why do things always have to be so difficult? I take the book out and read ahead to see what I'm in for.

_**Chapter Two **__****_

_**It is recommended that the object of your fancy and you somehow find a way to be close to each other, whether it involves moving if the two of you are far away or simply just choose a place to meet that's convenient for both of you. It isn't easy to build a long-distance relationship, and being close together will speed things up and make the other steps a lot easier.**_

The gates begin to open, so I quickly hide the book. I don't want Serenade to find out what I'm up to. The door seems to open by itself and I step into the palace to find Serenade sitting on her throne. She's wearing the same white pants and black suit that she always seems to wear and her golden helmet, belt, shoulder guards, and bracers.

I note that she looks the same as always, which meant she is still as flat chested as the first time I saw her, but I won't be mentioning that today.

I look at the cracks on her gold and red chair and cracks on the palace's yellow walls. The repairs seem to be going pretty smoothly since the last time I've been here.

"Dost thou wish to…" Serenade takes a closer look and realizes who I am. "Oh, it's just you again." Serenade sighs as she slips into her normal speech. After I insulted her, she accidentally revealed that she could talk like a regular navi, and didn't bother to hide that with me. "If you want another fight, can we take it outside this time?"

Okay, now I have to make this look convincing. "Actually, I've been doing some thinking lately, and I don't think that power is all that important. I saw how some weaker navis seem to be happier than me, and I want a chance at that too."

Did that sound convincing enough? I stare at Serenade as she gives me a long look. I try my best to make myself seem innocent and defenseless. "Okay… You felt the need to tell me this?"

"I just wanted to…" I feel my tongue twist as I struggle with the last word. "…apologize, for umm… deleting some of your sub-ordinates and… causing trouble in the Undernet and Secret Area and for what I said the first time we met." Did I do anything else that I need to apologize for? I think that should be good enough for now. Serenade isn't responding… This isn't working. I need to think of something and fast.

I put my hands on my helmet and lift it up. "Here, I've sealed some of my power into my helmet. I'll let you keep it as a sign that I'm willing to change." I throw my black helmet at Serenade and she catches with the palm of her right hand without standing up from her throne.

I feel the wind blowing my long silver hair and I put my hand over my face to momentarily shield it and I lift it up. Serenade just looks at me. "What happened to the purple streaks on your face?" 

"That only goes well with the helmet on, so I decided to get rid of it." I shiver as the wind blows against my head. I feel so… naked without my helmet on. I haven't taken it off since… alright, I haven't taken it off period. Until now, that is.

This better work, I'm not going to attempt to fight Rockman while I'm weakened. I wait and Serenade looks at me for a moment. "Very well, I see that you're actually serious about this. Your sins have been forgiven."

YES! I'm one step closer to destroying Rockman. This is going to be a very sweet relationship… for me. Serenade looks at me for a moment. "Is there anything else that you want?"

Wait, I can't go outside without my helmet! What will everyone else think of me? I guess there's only one thing I can do now… "Do you mind if I… stay here with you? I don't want to go out there with my powers halved."

"Very well, the guest rooms are to my left. Choose one." I nod and head forward. Maybe I should say thank you? No, she'll get too suspicious if I act too nice. I just nod and head toward the first room I see. I look around and see a window, a table, a bed, and a full view mirror, things that a navi don't need.

I pause at the full view mirror in front of me and look at my face. My hair's reaching down to my waist, kind of similar to Blues, but mine looks softer. I hold out a finger and gently run through my hair, feeling the silkiness of it.

I feel so… weak. It's disgusting, but anything to put Rockman in his rightful place, beneath me. I fall down on the bed and feel my back crashing onto something hard. "OW!"

I quickly turn and find that I just crashed onto the white metal bed post. Wait, why does Serenade even have a bed? Does she even need sleep? Why are my eyes getting so heavy?

I'll seek the answer to those questions later, but for now, I need to get some rest. I take a look at the inviting white mattress. Somehow, white doesn't seem like such a bad color anymore.

I unfold the blanket and pull it over my body and fall down on the soft mattress. This feels kind of good. My hair's actually covering the pillow, but I don't really mind since it's so soft and silky. Maybe this is why humans like to sleep. Once I take over the Net, I'll ban all humans from sleeping, especially Rockman's operator. That guy really makes me mad with his carefree attitude. What he really needs is a huge smack across the face by something called reality. I was smacked right after I was made. It's so unfair that Rockman and his operator have such a cushy life and I need to kill everyone just to live.

I feel myself getting tired. That's strange, I didn't even fight. Why am I feeling so weak? Is there something wrong with me? My eyes close and everything blacks out. 

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Huh!? Where's Rockman? I could have sworn that I had Rockman ready to be killed just a few moments ago. Just then, the door opens and Serenade steps in. "Did you sleep well, Forte?"

"I was at the Undernet for a moment, and now I find myself back here." I try to recall exactly what happened, but I can't seem to remember anything. All I remember was the look of pure defeat on Rockman's face. Why did I have to end up here just as he was about to be finished!?

"You had a dream."

"A… dream?" I never knew that I could dream. It's probably because I never tried to sleep, but I guess you learn something new everyday. 

"I just came here to tell you that I'll be leaving to take care of some business, so feel free to make yourself at home." I nod and the Ruler of the Undernet quickly leaves. She looks like she's in a hurry. I wonder what she's up to.

I shrug and look below my blanket. I pull out the secret to my success and open it up to flip to the next step in the complete destruction of Rockman.

_**Chapter Three **__****_

_**Now that everything's set. You need to break the ice by getting to know each other better. You must consider if the person your heart belongs to is someone that you want to spend the rest of your life with. Compliment them, and tell them that they're nice to be around, but remember to always tell the truth with your chosen partner. Just be with them and your relationship will slowly grow. You should also talk to them to learn their likes, dislikes, and if you're lucky, their turn-ons.**_

I didn't need to see that last part. I step onto something and that sends my head crashing to the floor. I yell out in pain and rub the bruise on my head. First day without my helmet and this is what happens!

I look to see what tripped me and find… my own cape. Did I forget to take that off before going to sleep? I let out a sigh and leave the room. Since Serenade isn't here right now, I might as well do a little bit of exploring.

I walk along the long white hallway and find the entrance to the largest room. This has to be Serenade's. Maybe I should do some sneaking around. I put my hand on the doorknob and turn it. Good thing it isn't locked.

Hey! Maybe I'll be able to find out where she's keeping my helmet, or maybe even how she fought Rockman! I go in and look at the room. There's a huge wooden bookshelf and a large bed as well as the things in my room with a few additions.

This place is pretty fancy, I better get started or else I'll get caught. I notice a drawer beside the bed. I'll try that first. I put my fingers around the grey handle, but it doesn't budge. Serenade must've locked this one. I wonder what's in there? It has to be my helmet or something else really important.

Well, I'll just see what else I can find. I go to the bookshelf and grab the first thing I see. That's strange, I didn't think Serenade would have something like this. I read the title: "Bleach Volume 1: Strawberry and the Soul Reapers". I look at the others and notice they're similar.

Reading this has to give me some clues to Serenade's power! I take the twenty four other books that are similar to this and run back to my room to read it. 

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I flip to the last page of the last book still without a clue on the secret to Serenade's power. I don't think I'll find anything interesting here. I run back to Serenade's room and put it back the same way I found it. I leave her room and prepare to go back to mine, but Serenade returns.

"Stupid NetDealer forgot to reserve it for me…" Serenade mutters under her breath, barely loud enough for my ears to catch. She looks at me for a moment. "Were you exploring the palace?"

"Uh… yeah." Alright, I need to think of something and quick. "Is there anything bothering you?"

"Huh?" Serenade seems kind of sad today. What could be wrong? "Oh, I just wanted to buy something from a NetDealer, but he forgot to reserve it."

"He forgot an order from the Ruler of the Undernet?" Seriously, I've seen some navis that would give up their just to meet Serenade and shouldn't the NetDealer be a bit threatened?

"I don't go around announcing who I am. Not a lot of people even know what I really look like, so it all works out." Serenade turns to me for a moment. "I don't abuse my powers, like _some_ people."

Was that supposed to be directed at me? I clear my throat for a moment. Maybe this would be the best to throw out a compliment. "Well, I just wanted to say thanks. For being there when I needed it, even after everything I did to cause trouble for you." Wow, it's getting easier to talk to her.

"I believe that everyone should have a second chance. Some people just get off on a bad start due to personal experiences." The two of them stand there for a moment as silence takes over.

"I was wondering what you liked to… do…" Serenade thinks for a moment and I wait. I just hope this doesn't sound too weird. 

"Here, come with me. You must be bored being stuck here all day." Serenade grabs onto my hand and pulls me outside the castle. Damn she's fast. I can't even tell where we're going.

She stops and I almost crash onto the ground, but I manage to stop myself. Where are we anyway? I look around to see that we're on some high platform in the Secret Area. "Why are we here?" 

Serenade points up and the Cyberworld begins to become distorted. The sky becomes a golden reddish color and a strange glowing ball seems to be slowly falling down. What the heck is this?

"I used my powers to so that a small rift between the real world and Cyberworld will open here in the Secret Area as the sun sets. I enjoy watching this everyday just to see the beauty of the human world at twilight."

I'm not really interested in watching a burning ball descent, but I nod at Serenade nonetheless. The things I do to see Rockman's death. I look at Serenade and notice how the light seems to illuminate her. 

I have to admit, she doesn't look half bad despite her lack of… assets. She doesn't have that preppy aura of cheerfulness that seems to be around Rockman's female friends and most other female navis, and not in the Slur kind of way.

Something seems to be weighing down on my right shoulder. I turn and see Serenade leaning her head against it. Should I push her off? Actually, this doesn't feel that bad.

Wait, I think I feel a strange churning in my stomach. I never felt anything like this before, but I think I heard humans talk about it. What was it called again? Guilt? What do I have to feel guilty about? 

My subconscious sends my brain the image of a dying Rockman, and the churning in my stomach is replaced by a warm fuzzy feeling. The death of Rockman is so close, I can almost taste it.

Serenade lets out a sigh of contentment and I look up to see that the sky returned to normal. She lifts her head back up, and now I feel a bit unbalanced. "Well, the sunset's over now, let's go back."

A pink light surrounds me and Serenade and the next thing I know, we're back at the palace. Serenade turns to look at me. "I need to take care of some official Undernet business. Feel free to explore the Cyberworld while I'm gone."

As if I really needed permission from her to do that, but before I could say that, she teleports out of the room. I reach into my cloak and feel around for the red book. I open it to read the next pages. 

_**Chapter Four **__****_

_**Now that the two of you know each other a bit better, you need to show your crush that you really care about them. A good way to do this is to give them a gift that you know they will like. If you have successfully found out a bit about them as suggested in the last chapter, then this shouldn't be too difficult.**_

I close the book and try to think of what Serenade would want. I'll just go to Internet City and browse around. I'm sure I'll be able to find something. 

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Battle chips… battle chips… more battle chips. What the heck is wrong with these navis!? If battle chips are the only things they're selling, they can at least sell good ones. Guard!? Minibomb!? CANNON!? Okay, this is just ridiculous. I can find all of this in less than one second.

"Come on, Rockman! Let's go over here!" I freeze when I hear that name. There's just no way. I turn and find out that there is a way after all. Headed directly for me is _**him**_ with two other navis.

His pink friend is clinging onto his left arm like a drowning sailor to flotsam and another female navi is clinging onto his right arm in a similar fashion. Wait, isn't that the navi that gave me the book? I guess she was talking about Rockman after all.

Rockman doesn't seem to be paying attention to me, maybe I can slowly slip out of the way and – A loud crashing sound is heard as I bump into a normal navi and he spills his teacup. How dare that navi and his need to drink for no particular reason get in my way!?

Rockman and the two females that are like magnets turn to me. Do I punch him and make a run for it? I search in my cloak for a weapon. Book, zenny, wallet, a dagger! I calculate my chances. On one hand, Rockman has the advantage because I'm not at full power, but his arms are more or less immobile. If I get in a clean first hit, I'll be able to delete him for good.

"Blues!? Is that you!?" What the!? He doesn't even recognize me without my helmet on. Does he think some red navi with a sword and sunglasses is more important than me? How dare that fool! At first, I wanted to give him a quick death, but slow and painful seems like a better idea.

"At last, you're mine!" I dive at the blue navi and manage to push him onto the ground while I sit on his stomach. The two female navis finally let go and I bring the dagger down. Everything then seems to happen at slow motion for me.

The dagger touches Rockman's navi emblem, and shatters into a million pieces, just like my hopes of seeing Rockman deleted for good. Stupid glass dagger, maybe I should check out the things I steal before putting it in my cloak. Rockman just stares at me confused for a moment. "Can I… help you?"

This is bad. If Serenade finds out that I assaulted Rockman, then I'll lose my chance to get my helmet back and my cushy bed! "Oh… uh, I mistook you for someone else."

"Forte?" NOW he recognizes me. I wonder what gave it away, was it the black armor, red iris, scar on my emblem or the cloak? I better try to act innocent.

"Rockman!? It really is a small world, huh? I was chasing a… blue navi that… stole something…" Wow, that sounded really convincing. Still, knowing Rockman and his naïve operator, he might actually believe me.

"What are you doing here?"

"After my last defeat, I decided to quit my evil ways." I don't consider my ways evil, so that isn't exactly a lie, right? Rockman stares at me for a moment.

"Okay… Roll, Medi, and I were just browsing around for battle chips. Want to join us?" Wow, talk about dense. I wonder if he even realizes that the two female navis have a crush on him.

"Get off my Rockman!" Roll pushes me off with inhuman strength and she grabs onto Rockman's left hand and drags him up the ground. "Are you okay Rockman? You aren't hurt are you?" Oh, I wish he was hurt, but like always, my wishes aren't granted.

"Here, Rockman, let me heal your injuries." The white navi, I'm guessing she's Medi, puts her hand on Rockman's navi emblem and begins to heal some very minute scratches caused by the fall.

"Get your hands off my Rockman!"

"Make me!" The two of them let go of Rockman and begin attacking each other, wrestling on the ground while Rockman tries to stop them, but to no avail.

"Catfight!" A voice calls out as a crowd begins to gather. I really don't want to get involved in this right now. I grab a wallet and start slowly moving away. Hey, if I can't take Rockman's life, then I might as well take his zennies. 

----------------------------------------------------------- 

Maybe I should just give up. These people seem to be interested in nothing but weak battle chips. I look forward and something catches my gaze. It's another NetDealer, bu ton his desk there's a pile of books. 

The first book has the title: "Bleach Volume 26". Serenade has to be interested in this. I go up to the NetDealer. "How much for all of that?" I point at the pile of books after looking at the second one, "Bleach Volume 27". It looks like I finally hit the jackpot. 

"These aren't for sale. I only have one copy." I grab onto the NetDealer's collar and pull him closer to me.

"What do you mean these aren't for sale?" My eyes begin to narrow. With or without the purple streaks across my face, I still look menacing, evident by the shivers of the NetDealer.

"It took me forever to get this copy. I had to get another NetDealer to cancel a reservation for some orange navi." Some orange navi? Oh, so this explains it. I transform my hand into a sword. Hey! I can still do this. Why didn't I think about using it against Rockman. 

"Listen here, mister. For your sake, you better hope that you have another copy of your data somewhere, but your deletion will still hurt." 

"Okay! Just take it." I take the pile of books and prepare to leave, but my senses are telling me to do something.

"Here." I hand over a wallet full of zennies and the NetDealer greedily picks it up. I don't know why, but I have a feeling that the wallet would have caused me more harm than good. I walk away, but pink and white blurs rush past me.

"Look! He's the one who took Rockman's wallet. Get him!" Roll and Medi begin attacking the NetDealer with some very painful and interesting methods. It's a good thing that I got rid of that wallet when I did.

"Once I return this to Rockman. He'll love me for sure!" Roll slaps the NetDealer with her antennas and he lets out a cry of pain.

"Please! No more!" I run out of here as fast as I can before they figure out who it was that really stole Rockman's wallet. 

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**Serenade's Palace**

I run in panting and breathing heavily. I can't believe that I can't even teleport. Maybe I sealed way too much of my powers into that helmet. No one's here right now…

I go to the entrance of Serenade's room and slowly open the door. I find Serenade sitting down on a chair next to the desk and writing something on a piece of paper. She looks up after hearing me enter the room. "Oh, are you back, Forte?"

"Yeah…" Why's saying this so hard? "I just wanted to give this to you." I hand her the books and she just stares at me, then at the present, then back at me.

"How did you know?"

"I looked through your room-" Wait, why did I just tell her that? That just completely slipped out, but the book did say I should tell the truth. Besides, Serenade doesn't seem to mind right now.

She tosses the paper that she's writing on onto the ground and takes the books from my hand with blinding speed and begins to flip through it. I just stand there watching her absorb the words and pictures. Somehow, I can't seem to think of anything better to do except to just watch her smile as she flips through the pages.

I get a strange warm feeling, a bit different then when I imagine myself killing Rockman, but not unpleasant either. Serenade pauses from reading for a moment and looks up at me. "Do you enjoy reading manga as well?"

Manga? So that's what it's called. "I read through the ones that you had in your room. I find the plot quite enjoyable." Good thing Ichigo isn't as annoying as Rockman. I find him slightly less preppy, which is good. "Who's your favorite character?" Wow, that came completely out of nowhere. I wonder what caused me to ask that.

Serenade thinks for a moment. "Probably Rukia…" Why because she's flat like her? I decide to not say that. Actually, I find Rukia to be a pretty likable character as well. At least she's not like _those_ two. Roll and Medi, I don't think I'll ever look at them in the same light again. "How about you?"

Hmm… who's my favorite character? That's a pretty hard one, since I skimmed through most of it. "Ulquiorra, since he's strong." 

"I thought that you'd relate to Grimmjow a bit better." Who was that Grimmjow again? I try to think and then remember.

"He has blue hair…" Yeah, that bit really makes me dislike him. Serenade just nods and thinks for a moment.

"You know, Ulquiorra's my second favorite character." She moves over to make some space on the chair. "You want to come and read it as well?" I found reading the manga pretty enjoyable, but it was more of a "something to waste time because I have nothing better to do" kind of enjoyable. Still, I suppose I have nothing to do now anyways, and this could help get Serenade to trust me more.

I sit down next to her and she flips back to the first page. Right after I finish reading, she flips the page. Is she reading my mind or something? I look and see that she's reading at the same pace as me.

After what seems like a few minutes, we manage to go through all the new volumes. I look at the clock and notice that it's already been one and a half hours. Wow, it was a lot better reading it this time. It must be because the plot is thickening.

"It's getting pretty late now. You should go to your room."

"Sure." I open the door and leave the room, but notice that somehow things become a bit colder, like the world that I'm used to. Wait, what caused it to change in the first place? It can't be because of Serenade, right?

I should probably get some sleep before I dwell more on that thought. I sluggishly walk through the white hallway until I find the door to my room. I open the door and immediately crash onto my bed due to exhaustion. I should read the next chapter so I can plan ahead for tomorrow.

I take out the red book and flip the pages until I find my way to chapter five. There we go.

_**Chapter Five **__****_

_**Now that you made a good impression on your heart's desire, the target of your affections should think that you're a nice person to be around. Now take the next step and arrange a date. A date at the movie theater would be nice, or perhaps a nice romantic candlelit dinner with some soothing music in the background to lighten the mood.**_

My arms get heavier and the book drops on the bed. My eyes close as sleep slowly overtakes me once again. 

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**Serenade's Palace (The Next Day)**

Alright, I didn't have too much trouble getting everything I need. I should go over the list. Food: check. Candles: check. Bug frags: check. Roll: check. Music- Wait, a second. Roll!? I look at the entrance and sure enough, the pink navi is standing there.

"What are you doing here?" Did she figure out that it was me who stole Rockman's wallet? She wouldn't be violent enough to attack me here, would she? Wait, I shouldn't be scared. I'm the strongest navi the world has ever seen. I could easily defeat some heart throwing female navi without my full power.

"I followed you here when I saw you at Internet City. Medi's been going out with Gutsman to get Rockman's attention, and every time I see him, he's asking about Medi. That's why I'll be using you to get to Rockman."

Who does she think she is? Can't she see that I have better things to do then help her, in fact, what makes her think that I would ever even think about helping her. I prepare to transform my hand into a sword, but Serenade walks in from her room.

"I see that you have some friends over Forte. It seems that you are making an effort to change after all." Just then, I feel something grabbing my arms. I turn to see Roll clinging to it. What does she think she's doing?

"Forte and I ran into each other and found out we had a lot of things in common. The next thing we knew, it became true love." What could we possibly have in common? That's like trying to find the similarities between a rock and a bird! I hear snickers coming from the entrance and turn to see Darkman and Yamatoman. I should've known they were the ones who let her in to see me suffer.

"Keep this up, Roll. We'll be sure to tell every detail to Rockman. We have a strict honor system, so if you want us to tell Rockman, then everything has to be true." Strict honor system my foot. They just want to see me suffer because they can't beat me in a real a battle.

"Congratulations, Forte. I didn't really think of you as a socializing type of person at first." Serenade sits down on her throne and starts reading the present I "bought" for her yesterday. Can't she see that I'm in pain? That ungrateful-

"What are you doing!?" Roll wraps her arms around my waist, almost causing me to hurl. If she comes any closer, I'll destroy her. I don't care if that gets me in trouble anymore. If Rockman actually enjoys being around this crazy female, then he really does deserve a slow and painful death. Once again, that blue navi manages to make my life miserable. If it wasn't for him, then this crazy pink navi wouldn't even know me!

"Help me, Sere-" I try to call out to Serenade, but Roll pushes me to the ground when she realizes something. Let me rephrase that. A pink female navi pushes ME aside as if I'm a piece of trash. Who does she think she is!?

"This is the Ruler of the Undernet?" Roll stands next to Serenade and starts circling her and inspecting her. Serenade ignores this and continues to read the manga that I bought her. Doesn't she have some kind of rule to keep intruders out? Well, I guess after the numerous times I broke in, she probably doesn't care that much anymore. "Rockman told me that all about you, but always said he wasn't sure about your gender, are you a male or female?" 

"Female." Serenade answers simply and flips a page from the manga, not caring there's an unwelcome visitor in her palace.

"Really? But you're complete flat -" I'm not exactly sure what happened next, but a hole appears on the front door and Roll has left the building. Serenade calmly turns to Yamatoman and Darkman.

"Don't let anymore unwelcome visitors in." I guess she's also mad if other people call her flat chested. Yamatoman and Darkman nervously nod and they exit the palace. I guess now's a good time to surprise her.

"Since I noticed that you always seem to be quite busy…" Other then when you're reading Bleach, but I won't add that. "I thought that you should take some time to rest." I uncover one of the tables in the room to reveal plates, eating utensils, and lit candles. How the cover didn't catch on fire is something that I'm not entirely sure of myself.

I take a chair out from under the table and wait for Serenade to sit down. She teleports from her throne onto the chair and I take my seat. She takes a look at the available food data and gets some FishData and some BreadData.

I, on the other hand, get the Bug Frags that I managed to "collect" from some navis in Internet City. I put my hand on the wine bottle lift it above Serenade's glass. "Wine?"

"Yes, please." I swiftly remove the cork with a pop as violet liquid starts to fill her glass. She continues eating the FoodData and I continue absorbing some Bug Frags, drinking wine, and occasionally eat FoodData as well.

Now would be a good time to put on some music. I press a button on a remote as a beat fills in the room.

_"I'll take you to the Candy Shop…"_

I press the next button right away. "Sorry about that, wrong song." Another more relaxing tune fills the room and Serenade starts to slowly hum along with it. We continue eating in silence as I think of something to say.

"Doesn't it bother you that some navi just walked in here all high and mighty as if the world revolved around her?"

"Some navis are just too full of themselves, right, _Forte_?" This comment makes me a nervous and I start twiddling my thumbs. "Well, you get used to it after a while." That puts an end to that topic and we continue eating.

"Hey, Serenade?"

"Yes?" 

I just wanted to say… thanks… for supporting me when I need it." The words just seem to come out of my mouth with no real thought put behind them. Wow, I think I'm getting good at this. "After all the things I did to disturb you, I didn't think you would so easily accept me like that." Serenade just nods and we continue eating. 

"You know, this is kind of nice. Maybe we should do this a bit more often." I nod and finish my food. I check on Serenade to see that she's done too. "Come on, the sunset's starting.

The two of us warp out of the room to the area where we first watched the sunset as the Cyberworld's sky distorts. I watch the sunset again, but this time, I find myself almost hypnotized by the bright colors. This must be why Serenade likes to look at it so much.

"Hey, Serenade, I was thinking that the two of us could go to Internet City together tomorrow night. You know, like on a date." Serenade thinks for a moment and a small smile forms on her lips.

"Sure, I don't see why not." The sun sets and we warp back to Serenade's palace. I crash onto my bed without bothering to even look ahead at the next chapter of my guide for Rockman's death. 

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_**Chapter Six **__****_

_**Now that the two of you know each other very well, it is time to tell your partner how you feel. This is the hardest step of all, as the chance of rejection applies to everyone, both the strong and the weak. Just try to let the words pour from your heart and ask the question. Good luck on your relationship!**_

Alright, today's the day that I learn how to defeat Rockman. I close the book and go to the main room to see Serenade sitting on her throne. Here goes nothing. "Serenade, is it true that you fought Rockman?" 

"Rockman? Oh, you mean that blue navi?"

"Yeah. I was just curious since I heard in Internet City yesterday that you were winning the fight before you decided to forfeit." Serenade looks at me for a moment. Is she suspicious? I really hope that this works. I've done too much to not see Rockman die.

"Yes, you can say that I was winning." I wait for her to say more, but she doesn't. I guess I'll have to try and continue this conversation.

"I was just wondering, how did you fight him? Let's say I wanted to fight Rockman, which I'm not saying that I do, how did you fight him? What's your secret to fighting in general?" Serenade looks at me for a moment.

"I love and respect all my enemies and therefore, I win." Wait, does that mean she loves and respects me? Wow, that makes me feel kind of guilty… but I've come too far now to be stopped by an emotion. 

"Can you teach me how to love and respect my enemies?" Serenade teleports from her throne and appears in front of me. I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen soon.

"Well, first off…" Serenade raises her hand up and I yell in pain as my back slams against the walls. "Being too full of yourself is biggest weakness to powerful navis." Serenade brings her hand down and I feel my whole body getting heavier.

I get slammed onto the ground and Serenade continues talking. "If you're going to execute a plan based on a public source, make sure you check the source first." The red book drops from my cape and I take one look at it.

At the bottom of the cover, written in golden letters is something that I managed to miss the first time: "Written by Serenade". 

Serenade goes up to me. "If this experience has truly taught you the error of your ways, then perhaps we'll meet again." No! This can't be happening. I was so close to defeating Rockman!

Now I don't even have my helmet anymore, I have no chance to destroy that blue navi. Everything that matters to me has been completely taken away. I feel like I have nothing left. Wait, unless…

I use the last of my strength to look at Serenade. "Are we still on for tonight?" 

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Well, I'm glad I finally finished that. I just wanted to try writing in first person, so tell me how all of you like it so far. I'm thinking of making "Megaman ZX: From Dawn to Darkness" a mixture of both first person and third person. Anyways, tell me what you think of that idea.


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